2019-07-01_Country_Homes_Interiors

througha cottagegardenfullofthose

flowersasa child”,’ saysHeather.

Aredundantfarmbothyandstableblock

werecommandeeredforTheGreatBritish

Florist,whichHeatherknewfromthestart

wouldoperatesolelyonline.‘Thereare

only 63 peopleinourvillage.Whenyou’re

basedsomewherelikethis,youhavetofind

differentwaysofselling.Wewereoneofthe

firstindependentcompaniestotradeonline,’

shesays.‘We’renotexclusivelyBritish,but

thereareBritishflowersineverybouquet

design.Aswellasourownflowers,wesource

stemsfroma networkofnationalgrowers.’

Heatherusedherwebknowledgeand

SEOskillstoensurethatTheGreatBritish

Florist ranked high on search engines if

peopletypedin‘Englishflowers’or‘UK-

grownflowers’.‘Wealsousedsocialmedia

tocreateawarenessofthebrand,’shesays.

NinetypercentofTheGreatBritishFlorist’s

orderscomefromtheUK,with 10 percent

fromoverseasbutdeliveredtoa UKaddress.

‘Whyshipflowersaroundtheworldwhen

wecangrowthemhere?Plus,thereareextra

benefitstobehadfromgrowingflowers

• ourcuttingpatchis providinga feastfor
  bugs,butterfliesandbirds,’saysHeather.
  ‘BybuyingBritishflowersyou’resupporting
  Britishwildlifeandbiodiversity.Wealso
  workhardtominimiseourimpactonour
  surroundings– wecompostourflowerwaste,
  recycleourplasticandshredourcardboard
  andalltheobviousthingsyouwouldexpect
  froma companylikeours.Butourrealvalues
  lieinhavingbotharablecropsandanimals
  onourfarm– eachelementbenefitstheother,
  helpingensurewehavea diversefarm.’
  BusinesshasboomedsinceTheGreat
  BritishFloristwasfoundedandHeather
  hasbeenabletotakeonfiveemployees.
  Buta rethinkoftheirsystemstookplace
  attheendof2018,whentheirwebsitewas
  compromisedbycybercriminals.‘Weneeded
  tomakesureit neverhappenedagain,’says
  Heather.‘Sowesimplifiedourweboffering
  andstoppeddoingweddingbouquets
  online.Nowweconcentrateonposies,
  bouquetsandflowers.Paymentgoesthrough
  athirdpartyproviderwiththeverybestcyber
  securitypossible.Wehavealsocomeupwith
  newideasthatarebeneficialtocustomers,
  suchaslimited-editiondesignsbasedon
  whatbloomsareinseason,whichgive
  ourfloristsa chancetobereallycreative.’
  Heatherlovesthathercompanyis able
  todeliverflowersnationwide,despitebeing
  basedinsucha remotearea.‘Ourownsense
  ofwellbeingis enhancedbythebusiness,too


• youcan’tbemiserablewhenyou’rewalking
  aroundthecuttingpatchona sunnyday.’
  TheGreatBritishFlorist,01981 500930,
  greatbritishflorist.co.uk

❝

I amresponsIble for managIng myown

tImeand resources,wIththeopportunIty

to brIngIdeastolIfe.I love theadventure,

creatIvIty, growth and freedom of that

❞

TheGeorgian
farmhousethat
Heather calls home

What I love about my work...

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